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Monday, February 28, 2011

I have posted about the 5 Minute-a-Day artisan bread before. You can check out the cookbook about this bread here. Despite having written about baking bread before, I feel compelled to write about it again. OK, I just want to wax poetic about it. One of my high school friends has a blog in which she writes about her cooking experiences. She writes with such passion that some might find it overwhelming. Yet I had an experience like hers today with the most recent batch of bread.

After a hodge-podge of lunch with Ellie, I decided to have a piece of the bread I made for the soup we had for dinner last night. For the curious, the soup from last night was butternut squash. And for the really curious, the hodge-podge lunch for me was leftover pea soup and a chicken drumstick. Ellie had food nearly non-stop from about 10:30 through noontime - fruit leather, grape tomatoes, granola bar, breaded cod fillet (from TJ's), broccoli, 1-2 slices of apple, and I'm probably forgetting something before the bread.

ANYWAY...

I made this batch of bread with all-purpose flour, rosemary and thyme for herbs. The shape ended up less than ideal, but the texture and taste has been phenomenal. I sliced some of the roundish loaf for me and Ellie, buttered our pieces, and decided to sit with Ellie to keep her company. Little did I realize that I would *need* to sit down while eating the bread.

First I found myself amused at Ellie's attempts to eat the inside separate from the crust. Then I noticed that she actually was enjoying the crust. Next she told Tigger the Wonder Beast that he could not have her bread. Ha ha - Tiggers don't like bread. Or do they? He started begging from me too, so I gave him a crumb which he promptly devoured. I remembered reading somewhere about how you can tell real food from not-so-real-food by whether another animal desires and will eat the food item in question. So on to my bread experience now that the human and feline beasties were content.

I took a bite and just felt complete comfort and peace. The crusty exterior opened to a soft yet wonderfully chewy inside. The air pockets allowed space for the flavor to spread. The flour and cornmeal dusting added interesting texture and perhaps depth is the word I'm looking for. With each bite, I enjoyed the aroma of the rosemary and thyme, feeling as though I was in some idyllic outdoor setting like a quiet thick forest with a gentle breeze and old trees. I actually found myself closing my eyes and just smiling as though I knew some deep significant secret.

I know anyone reading this will think that I've gone off the deep end. I feel as sane as I've ever felt. I merely had one of my most amazing food experiences ever with something as simple as a piece of home-baked bread.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

I didn't post a meal plan last week because I was in a weight-loss funk. I had hit a nasty plateau in my weight-loss journey and I just didn't want to plan diddley-squat. I did end up with a plan for the week, but I never got around to posting it here. I did post 2 of the recipes, so I hope someone reading will enjoy those.

The plateau ended this week - huzzah! I reached my weight-loss goal, and so I'm feeling much better about my eating and cooking decisions. I didn't use my meeting time to write a menu last night, so I scrambled to put one together this morning. The scrambling was because I needed to figure out whether I would have to go to the store today or if procrastination was an option. Procrastination it is!

ThursdaySince Aaron is having a "man-date" this evening, I'm going to cook up the Trader Joe's BBQ teriyaki chicken with jasmine rice for the kids. I doubt this is the healthiest option for any of us, so my plan is to finish off the split pea soup we have.

FridayOur usual Shabbat dinner: fish, green veggie, brown rice. I imagine we'll stick with broccoli for the green veggie, but I have been craving asparagus. It's just not the right season for it. I can wait until some semblance of Spring.

SaturdayAaron has been asking to make grilled chicken or chicken in the slow-cooker. Honey, you're up!

SundaySoup and bread. I think I'll use up another butternut squash, but I might see whether the sugar pumpkin on my counter is still usable and go for the Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean instead.

MondaySince the turkey meatballs were a big hit, I'm going to try my hand at some turkey burgers. I'll need to decide on a recipe and a side dish, but I'm excited to try some new things. Besides, I found one of those hamburger maker things - you know, the thing you put the meat in and squish it down with a round plastic thing? Yeah, I'm really technical here. I've been itching to try it out.

TuesdayCheesy lentil rice casserole will make a reappearance on the menu. I love that I can use up extra veggies in it and that the kids eat it without complaint.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Another yummy recipe to share with you all! I decided that it was time for me to learn how to make meatballs. I don't know how I've reached the age of almost-35 and not made meatballs, but it is true that I have not made my own meatballs (as far as I can remember). I gained a great appreciation for those who do this on a regular basis or for restaurants who do this rather than purchasing premade meatballs. These meatballs were worth the effort, but I doubt I can find time each week for them. I bet I could make the meatballs in advance of need/want and freeze them though.

Bring sauce and water to simmer in large skillet. Add meatballs; cover and simmer, stirring gently a few times, until cooked through. About 10 mins

Meanwhile cook pasta.

Divide pasta among 4 plates; top evenly with meatballs and sauce. sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup parm cheese.Notes/Changes:Making meatballs is a messy, slimy endeavor. Be prepared to wash hands frequently during the process.

Changes I made: I used panko for breadcrumbs, 1% milk, and a generic EggBeaters product for the egg (1/4 c. = 1 egg). I had pre-minced garlic, and I skipped the cayenne for the kids. Aaron made a marinara sauce which included some spinach (maybe 10-16oz.?) I think the cookbook recipe actually calls for escarole to be tossed with the pasta for the last minute of cook time, but we put our greens in the sauce instead.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Aaron has been craving Mexican-style food for a while now. Maybe he wouldn't call it a craving, but he has been asking for it. I've missed Mexican-style food since restarting my Weight Watchers journey. Most Mexican-style dishes I make have some kind of cheese in them. Cheese is rather high in PointsPlus value, unless I use lowfat or no-fat cheese. I don't like using no-fat cheese, and I like A LOT of cheese, so Mexican has been off the menu here for a while.

At my meeting this week, I read the weekly pamphlet and was delighted to see a Mexican-style meal that didn't require no-fat cheese. In fact, the ingredients are pretty basic, and the preparation looked super-easy. The recipe did not disappoint me. It was flavorful, reasonably filling, somewhat kid-approved, and has made for good leftovers.

In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.

In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.

Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.

Notes/Changes:I skipped the cilantro, but I'm sure the dish would be good with it. I didn't bother with the large baking sheet because I could see that the casserole wasn't going to overflow. I think I will use more spinach next time. This casserole also would make fantastic burrito/enchilada filling. And one last note, this casserole would be great for sports gatherings/tailgating.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

After this week's grumpy weigh-in, I decided I needed to focus on what I could control. I thought about what didn't work this week and last week. I realized that coming up with a plan was not enough. I think I come up with reasonable plans, plans which should help me lose and eventually maintain a healthy weight. I need actually to stick to the plan. I decided to commit to actually sticking with my menu plan. Besides sticking to my own plan (and by extension to the WW method), I committed to drinking water first before soda and writing down what I eat. I am going to track, just like I did for so many of the past months. It keeps me honest and often makes me think twice about buying that bakery cookie (grf).

Realizing that only I can keep myself accountable, I'm just going to put my request out there. Anyone up for checking in with me around Sunday or Monday to see how I'm doing with sticking to this plan?ThursdayTurkey chili-mac (8 PointsPlus/serving). I have procrastinated long enough. The turkey is thawing out as I type.

FridayThe usual - fish, green vegetable, brown rice or potato (haven't decided), challah. I'll need to calculate points, but I remember that most fish I like is a bit costly, between 6 and 9 PointsPlus for about 6 oz.

SaturdayBaked chicken (3 PointsPlus/serving), not sure of sides yet. I'd really like something like kale, but I doubt we'll find that at the market. If I don't do the potatoes on Friday, I will make the mustard potatoes as well. Based on the last time I made this, I'm going to make a few pieces that are less seasoned for the kids.

SundayAnyone's guess. :) Seriously, I'm at work on Sunday and have a meeting after work, so I'm hoping Aaron will step up with something yummy.

MondaySoup and bread. I'm not sure whether I'll make split pea or 15-bean soup. I'll need to calculate or estimate points for the 15-bean soup to see whether it fits with the rest of my food. The soups I make tend to be between 2 and 4 PointsPlus per serving, but I'm not sure how many the 15-bean soup is because I usually add chicken sausage.

TuesdayI'm drawing a blank here. I know I wrote something good down last night on my food tracker, and my memory is just coming up empty. Grf. I'll update when I have my written copy in front of me.

WednesdayPasta for the kids. Pizza for me and Aaron. I'm not even discussing PointsPlus for this night. I strongly believe that letting loose once in a while, or once a week, is OK and probably a healthy choice for many people. I can't stand feeling constrained, so my "binge night" helps me. First, I don't have to think about the healthiness of the food. Second, eating crappy for a night reminds me why I prefer to eat healthier.

Monday, February 7, 2011

I spent the so-called quiet time trying to make Hebrew fonts work in my ancient master's paper, so when I left to pick up my son from preschool, I didn't realize I should have already prepared dinner and put it in the oven. That is, we were supposed to have cheesy lentil rice casserole tonight, but it takes 90 minutes to bake, and I didn't start it before picking up my son and husband.

At 5:22PM, I had no idea what to make for supper. I suggested the ignored turkey chili-mac, and Aaron suggested the pseudo-Mexican food. Aaron wasn't ready for more chili yet, and I want a WW/weight-loss friendly recipe for Mexican food. Aaron thought we still had leftovers (wrong). As we pulled in the driveway around 5:30PM, Aaron said "How about I leave you alone, entertain the kids and you figure it out?"

OK then. :)

As I type, butternut squash soup is bubbling on the stove. In the process of making the soup, I sorted through the squash we harvested in the early fall to figure out which had gone past their prime (fuzzy squash = yuck). I even had celery to be used up since I hadn't used it as the fun snack I anticipated. We have some bread leftover from having friends over on Saturday, so I think we'll still end up with a pretty yummy meal even as we diverge from plan yet more.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Another week of planning ignored! My weight loss effort would go much better if I stuck to a plan. At WW, they say "you gotta have a plan." Having a plan is at least half the battle. Sticking to it seems to be the tough part for me.

Thursday was on plan until dinner. Aaron and I decided we had so many leftovers that new food was not in order yet. And by on plan, I actually mean that the meals followed the meal plan, not that I ate healthfully. I think I need to get rid of the cookie dough in my house. Wah. I have no will power.

Friday was on plan except for the lunch. I intended to have leftover Thursday dinner, but instead I had some other leftovers for lunch (chicken and potatoes, I think).

On Saturday, I ate some fruit before Aaron got back from skating with Caleb. We did in fact have a fantastic omelet - spinach, onions, and red peppers. It was SO good. Lunch was not tuna salad, and in fact I'm not sure what I ate. Hmm... I'm supposed to be writing down my food intake per WW. Why am I sabotaging myself after I set a goal? Grf. Saturday dinner was changed because we invited our vegetarian friends over. Aaron made a delicious vegetarian chili, and I baked bread. It was quite yummy, and it would have been a healthy dinner had I controlled how much bread and cookie I ate.

Today is Sunday. I actually made my own breakfast AND lunch this week. Instead of a fantastic sandwich, I took some of the leftover chili and an appropriate portion of bread with a Laughing Cow cheese. Breakfast was raspberry greek yogurt over some grapes and banana slices. Aaron declared tonight another leftover night.

I *think* we'll manage to stick to our dinner plan for Monday, but I'm pretty sure Tuesday will change. We'll probably bring the chili back as a pasta sauce on Wednesday.

This week's lack of follow through has been from last-minute changes of plans like inviting over vegetarian friends on a night I had hoped to make chicken and from realizing we had too much already-made food in the fridge. Perhaps we'll have better luck following through when our fridge has fewer leftovers. The scale is not in favor of ignoring the plan, nor does it approve of the cookie dough.

Maybe people read this because they think they will find answers to their own food planning issues. I guess I'm writing this post to share how my family is muddling through food some weeks too.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

As I was responding to a FB friend about how I plan a weekly menu, I realized I probably could write about it here, and maybe I could write somewhat coherently about my experience of menu planning.

Menu planning has evolved in our family. I don't remember when we started being pretty regular about planning, and perhaps we aren't quite as regular at it as I would like to imagine. I do remember a time when menu planning was more like "hmm, what's for dinner tonight?" I'm also pretty sure that time was well before we had kids, or at least before we had kids eating table foods. Sometime between the "what's for dinner" time and now, I've tried different ways of planning what we will eat.

Menu planning has become crucial to my weight management. Without a plan, I eat whatever is around, and that may or may not be a healthy choice. Menu planning is not all about my weight management though. Menu planning gives me a chance to explore new recipes and try to have a reasonably diverse diet. I love pasta, but it is better for everyone if I eat something other than pasta for dinner. Menu planning also gives me a chance to think about my weekly schedule from a different perspective. When do I have the opportunity to cook? When am I more rushed and in need of something quicker? Thinking about my schedule in this way has helped me not forget about appointments, activities, and various commitments. It actually keeps me organized in non-food ways, weird as that seems.

And to be perfectly blunt, I'm a bit of a control freak (yeah yeah, I know my friends are all saying "a bit???"). Menu planning is an opportunity to control something which is nearly completely controllable (unlike #*!& ice dams).

Here is how I plan a week of food.

I pick a day/time to do my planning. For me, this usually is Wednesday night or Thursday morning since I have my Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday and prefer to do my grocery shopping in the second half of the week.

I think about my schedule and the family's schedule for the week. When I will be out? When am I in a hurry? When do I have time to cook something requiring more attention?

I think about types of meals I might like for that week or types of meals someone has requested. To do this, I actually made a list of our most frequently consumed meals and categorized them by "genre" (e.g., pasta, chicken, fish, vegetarian, "Mexican," etc.). This list making took under 15 minutes. As I think about meal types, I can refer to the list and consider family favorites (pasta night = pesto tortellini; chicken might = chicken fingers or baked chicken or chicken shepherd pie, etc.).

I try to make sure a few meals will leave leftovers for lunches.

I match the type of meal to a specific recipe/idea while considering schedule. For example, when I have time to cook, I might choose to make chicken fingers with green beans and potatoes. When I don't have as much time to cook, I might choose a slow-cooker soup with bread.

I browse recipes for new ideas, esp. when I know a main ingredient but not how I want to prepare it.

I plan meals for every dinner at a minimum, but I don't plan to cook new food every night. At least one night, usually 2, is up to Aaron due to my schedule. And we do order pizza or Thai food once a week.

The last step is that I look at recipes and make a shopping list. The previous bullet points can be done in whatever order works for that week, but the grocery list is super important. I do it last so I make sure not to forget anything. I usually forget something anyway.

Something else that helps with my menu planning is that I have some no-cook, go to meals for when I really don't have time for anything. Mostly this applies to breakfast when I'm trying to get kids fed and out the door. I barely have time to eat on preschool mornings, so forget about actually cooking anything! These basic quick meals also change with time. Right now, quick breakfasts for the kids include instant oatmeal, Cheerios, and yogurt (not usually all of those at one breakfast). Ellie also sometimes will eat toast or string cheese. For me, I love Chobani Greek yogurt on top of fruit, specifically fruit requiring very little preparation. I pull off a handful of grapes, peel a clementine, quickly cut a banana. Pour yogurt on top and enjoy. It's amazingly filling, more so than a bagel with cream cheese and keeps me going longer. A few months ago, I made large batches of steel cut oatmeal in the slow cooker and would add a bit of brown sugar when I was ready to eat it. These quick breakfasts reduce the planning, and I don't have to think about food when I really don't have time.

Although there never seems to be time to plan a menu, I find that menu planning actually gives me more time during the week because I don't have to come up with food ideas while trying to do everything else. Making a bit of time each week to come up with even 2-3 dinners makes the rest of the week go more smoothly. I make fewer "emergency" trips to the grocery. I eat more healthfully which generally helps my mood and energy. Menu planning means I never get to 5:00 and ask "what's for dinner." Instead, I answer that question when my family asks, feeling competent and confident in the plan.

The snow is making me a bit nuts, so I'm going to try to control those things in my universe which are controllable. Can't control the damn ice dams, but I can control my food (sort of - emotional eating notwithstanding).

ThursdayBreakfast: kids will have leftover oat pancakes (nom nom nom). I will have yogurt and fruit (we have yellow bananas!!)Lunch: I will have leftover soup. Kids will have leftover pesto ravioli.Dinner: Ellie has been mentioning turkey chili mac over the past few days. Ask and ye shall receive.

SaturdayBreakfast: learning from last week, I need to eat breakfast before Caleb gets back from ice skating. He needs a second breakfast after skating. I may make myself an omelet/scramble while he is out, and everyone else's food will be thrown together from standard stuff. Besides, we might go to the market again this week, and the kids usually get treats there (scones, honey bunches)Lunch: Maybe I'll get around to making the tuna salad I mentioned last week. Thinking sandwiches, maybe soup and grilled cheese for the kids.Dinner: I'm thinking chicken of some kind or maybe pseudo-Mexican. At least I know I'll have time to cook dinner on Saturday.

SundayAssuming that I am teaching (not a guarantee given the pending snow on Sat.)Breakfast: yogurt, fruitLunch: yummy sandwich made by dear Aaron (my husband is awesome)Dinner: Up to aforementioned awesome husband. Maybe he'll make a chili, but that might be too much chili in a week - is that possible?

TuesdayBreakfast: omelet for me, whatever kids request (within reason). Maybe I could make them smoothies if I'm feeling motivated.Lunch: leftoversDinner: Soup and bread! Not sure which soup I'm craving... ok, I know which soup I want (tuscan pumpkin white bean), but I don't have all those ingredients. SO... perhaps either butternut squash as it is close to what I'm craving OR the 15-bean since I seem also to crave protein this week.

Just found out that my mother-in-law will be arriving on Friday and leaving on Sunday. I may switch my chicken day with the soup day to meet everyone's dietary preferences.

I have 2 complaints about this rough plan. First, I don't have any new recipes in it. I like expanding our options. Second, I have not specified side dishes, but I tend not to plan those. In general, I aim to have a "true" vegetable for a side dish at every meal - something green or not terribly starchy - and some dishes just lend themselves to certain side dishes. Chicken tends to get green beans whereas fish tends to go with broccoli, for example. This week, Aaron chopped up some raw vegetables and set them in a bowl on the table before bringing all of the meal. The kids went to town on cucumbers, broccoli, and even tried the red bell pepper a bit. When I get stuck about vegetables, I look to our fruits. No, they are not local, but I have decided to let that battle go for the winter months. The kids have been enjoying the dark red cherries and grapes. Clementines seem past whatever peak they may have experienced, but they were good for a while. And a lot of things I have planned for this week (and I suppose more generally) don't really need side dishes. Turkey chili mac has protein, fat, and carbohydrate covered. No, it doesn't have a green vegetable, but it has lots of beans. Surely beans count for something. Cheesy lentil rice casserole is another dish that doesn't really need a side. Sure, I might want an additional texture at the meal, but nutritionally the dish covers a lot of ground.

So that's the plan, with a commentary about side dishes. It is a guideline and certainly subject to change. I'll report throughout the week to let you know how we're holding up despite the tundra in which we seem to live.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The post title was tonight's dinner. Aaron and I both thought this was a tasty and filling meal. The kids thought the chicken was overspiced but good without as much seasoning, and they both ate the potatoes and green beans. Well, Ellie mostly ate her green beans and devoured the potatoes. Caleb declared the potatoes too sweet until he tried a regular-sized bite at which point he said "these aren't sweet!" Right... cooking for my kids has taught me not to take anything judgment too seriously.

The baked chicken is a big success for me as it is 3 PointsPlus and tasty!! The Dijon potatoes are similar to a recipe from my mom, so they are another comfort food. The green beans were not exciting - just reheated from our freezer and added a touch of butter for the adults. Ellie asked to eat "just butter." After explaining butter's role as a condiment, she said "I'M SAD!!!" *shrug* It's hard to be 2.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan.

Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with fresh lemon and serve. Yields 1 chicken breast half per serving. Notes/Changes:I didn't have a lemon for garnish, and I used dried herbs. I probably could have used a bit less seasoning, but I like herbs and spices.

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, paprika, salt, thyme and pepper; add potatoes and stir to coat.

Transfer potatoes to prepared baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on inside, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Notes/Changes:If your potatoes do not get crispy enough, coat them with cooking spray and then bake them for a few more minutes.

Instead of Dijon, I used a spicy deli mustard. I also just used regular baking potatoes, maybe Yukon Gold or Russet? I definitely recommend cutting the potatoes to a biteable size, in our case this was quartering.